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Pecan Production Overview

Monte Nesbitt Extension Horticulture

College Station, Texas

Pecan is native to Texas

`LA BAHIA', Washington on the Brazos State Park

Photo: Grauke

2012 USDA Census Texas

Acreage: 87,581

historically and to

the Texas economy AmAtrFE EXTENSION

AID(As A&M nGRIIIFE

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Terminology ® Native: tree developing from seed

without the influence of man.

e Seedling: tree originating by chance or intentional planting of a nut.

® Un-named and not propagated by grafting.

e Improved Variety or Cultivar: tree selected, named & propagated by grafting/budding for improved traits.

e Controlled Cross: Cultivar developed in a breeding program by intended application of pollen to a flower.

® Both parents are known

7

Pawnee: Improved Cultivar (& Controlled Cross) Released by USDA Pecan Breeding

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Controlled pollinatio cross made in 1963

Released in 1984

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Shorter growing

season; low disease

pressure; irrigation

required.

Terry Lynn atz

Gainec,

Reeves

East

4 Moderate to high disease pressure; supplemental to no irrigation.

Calhoun

Crocket1 le:c,neit4ororri:

Low disease pressure;

high heat stress;

irrigation required.

Terre!'

Variable disease pressure a``"' "'s

(usually light); irrigation needed, but supplemental is

possible. TEXAS A&M

Texas pecan-growing regions IUTIELNISFI E

N

Recommended Improve

Caddo (I)

Lipan (I)**

Mandan (I)**

Osage (I)

Pawnee (I)

Kanza (II)

Lakota (II)

Legend Type I pollination (protandrous) pollen shed first

(II) Type II (protogynous) female flowers receptive first

New and untested! variety for trial planting

si Scab susceptibility risk elevated in this region

bb Breaks dormancy early and should not be planted in northernmost areas of region

Caddo (1) WEST Cheyenne (1)

Apalachee (I)**

Caddo (I)

Desirable (I)ss

Lipan (I) **

Mandan (I)"

Oconee (I)

Pawnee (I)ss

Prilop (I)

Elliott (I1)bb

Forked . (II)

Kanza (II)

Lakota (II)"

AhttpATEXAS A&M

://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edufiruit-nutifiles/2015/04/pecans_improved_2o15.pdf EXRT

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Liipan CO'

Pawnee (I)

Waco (I)

Western (I)

Hopi (li)**

Lakota (II)**

Wichita (II)

Caddo (I)

Desirable (I)

Lipan (I)"

Mandan (1)**

Oconee (I)

Pawnee (I)

Kanza (It)

Lakota (II)"

Nacono (II)

Bare Root O Short Planting

Window ® Winter

® Lower Cost ® Good Survival

Container-Grown ® Long Planting

Window

® Higher Cost O Good Survival

Grafted Trees

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1-2 year old: Limb Spread

1.5 ft.

,

7-8 year old: Limb Spread 10-12 ft. 12-14 year old: Lipb,Spfsacr

20 ft. AiExAs A&M

.4aGRI LIFE EXTENSION

4-5 year old: Limb Spread

6-8 ft.

Ultimate Tree Size

40 Year Old Tree: Limb Spread Approx 54-6o feet

High Sunlight must be maintained! Tree-to-tree shading causes....

e Reduced terminal shoot growth

® Reduced nut production

® More pronounced alternate bearing

® Smaller sized nuts

e Branch dieback

® Greater pest problems

Strategies to Maintain High Sunlight

® Plant at a permanent spacing that will not crowd. e Tree Removal: Cut dlown trees or move trees to another site

with a tree spade ® Hedge Prune: Annual practice to cut back limbs and

increase light interception

ATEXAS A&M JAGRELIFE

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Slide credit: Richard Heerema EXTENSION

P.L. Wood, 1969 AExAs A&M

GRILIFE

Mechanical Pruning : Stahmann Farms, NM

® Original plantings 30' x 60' spacing in 1930's.

e In 1956 they began thinning trees to 60' x 60'.

e This convinced them to interplant at 30' x 30' spacing and prune mechanically when the orchard crowded.

® Initially they planned on pruning on a 10-year cycle, but by 1969 they had switched to lighter pruning on a 4- year cycle.

20

Pecan trees need from

48 -55 acre inches per

year.

25

35 40 45

1/41.

55

55

15

401

3o Year Rainfall Values (In./Yr)

TEXAS A&M

/1.GRI LIFE EXTENSION

35

30

25 Source:Texas Water Deveio p rne nit Board.

4 Recommended Water for Pecan Production

• March

• April

• May

• June

• July

• August

• Septemb

• October

TOTAL

Slide Credit: L. Stein

Provide 1-2.5" water per week, especially mid August to late September.

Texas Pecan Leaf Sufficiency Levels

Dry t. Concentration Texas

N-Nitrogen

2.5 to 4.0%

P-Phosphorus

0.15 to 0.30

K-Potassium

0.75 to 1.25

Calcium 0.70 to 3.00

Mg-Magnesium 0.30 to 0.60

Fe-Iron

Mn-Manganese

Zn-Zinc

B-Boron

Cu-Copper

50 to 300 ppm

40 to 300

80 to 500

20 to 45

10 to 30

Fertilizer e Annual concerns are Nitrogen &

Zinc; other nutrients managed according to leaf and soil analysis.

e Standard annual orchard rates:

® 80-200 lbs/Acre N; Texas (Stein, 2012)

Variety & Crop Load Dependent

o Stapdard application timing: Dimucthra_1‘..

® 13-ubfeak-,- May, July, August; TX (Stein, 2012)

Foliar spraying is effective approac a Zn fertilization in calcareous soils.

S ASEM

FE _ On mature, bearing trees, foliar sprays in early Spring are effective.

Far West Arizona

and California

Pest Management

El Paso and New

Mexico

East of El Paso to

Georgia

Aphids, Yellow and Yes

Yes

Yes

Black

Pecan Nut

No

Yes

Yes

Casebearer

Pecan Weevil No

Hickory Shuckworm No

Stinkbugs Yes

No Yes

Yes-limited Yes

Yes

Yes

e Pecan trees naturally overbear.

o Heavy seed crop production reduces carbohydrate/energy reserve production and flower production is reduced.

® Hormones that signal induction of female flowers are suppressed.

® Weather and pests accentuate the cycling. TEXAS A&M

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11111111 Maintain healthy foliage until frost or improved cro set next ear.

A 1

Control Insects, diseases, and nutrient problems!

TEXAS A&M GRILIFE EXTENSION

Pecan harvest is highly mechanized in most orchards today.

ATExAs A&M

GRI LIFE EXTENSION

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lualuoo einTspLu % 9 -tr-t, •

RH (%) Temperature

(F)

Days for visible

mold on Stuart nuts

8o

67

8o

73

8o

72

80

72

86

68

50

32

19

96

35

78

71

136

208

>304

(Wagner,

1 977)

Months of Storage Life NMI

Temperature Inshell

7 0 4

5 0 9

32 19

0 24

Slide Credit: J. B. Storey

Long term storage

Shelled

3

6

12

24

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